Chargé d’Affaires a.i.Jeremy Berndt
Jeremy Berndt, a career member of the Foreign Service, assumed his responsibilities as the Chargé d’Affaires a.i. of the U.S. Embassy to Libya (Libya External Office, Tunis) in October 2023. He served as the Deputy Chief of Mission at the U.S. Embassy to Libya beginning in August 2023. Prior to taking up his current position, he served as Director for North African Affairs at the National Security Council, where he coordinated the development and implementation of U.S. policies toward Libya, Egypt, Tunisia, Algeria, and Morocco.
Before serving at the National Security Council, he was the Political Economic Section Chief at the U.S. Embassy in Muscat, Oman. Prior to that, he was Deputy Director of the Office of Maghreb Affairs in the State Department’s Bureau of Near Eastern Affairs, following a tour in the same office as Senior Libya Desk Officer. He has also served as the Political Economic Section Chief at the U.S. Embassy in Libreville, Gabon, as well as in positions in Jerusalem and the Office of Arabian Peninsula Affairs in the Bureau of Near Eastern Affairs. He is the recipient of a number of State Department Superior and Meritorious Honor Awards.
Jeremy Berndt holds a PhD in History from Northwestern University. He has studied Arabic, French, Fulfulde, Hausa, and Hebrew. He grew up in Massachusetts. He is married and has three sons.
Mike LaRocque, Economic and Commercial Officer, U.S. Embassy to Libya
Paul Oliva, Senior Commercial Officer and First Secretary for Commercial Affairs
Paul Oliva is a U.S. Foreign Service Officer of the U.S. Department of Commerce who began a three-year tour in September 2025 as the Senior Commercial Officer at the U.S. Embassy Cairo. In this role, he leads the Department’s bilateral commercial work in Egypt and oversees the Department’s work in Lebanon, Libya, Algeria, Morocco, and Tunisia.
Paul most recently served as Executive Director for Asia in the Commerce Department’s International Trade Administration (ITA) during a two-year tour as Senior Advisor to the DAS for Asia. Previously, he was Principal Commercial Officer managing the Commercial Section in the U.S. Consulate in Frankfurt, Germany; Acting Deputy Director in ITA’s Office of Central and Southeast Europe; Commercial Officer at the U.S. Embassy in Mexico City and at the U.S. Embassy in Kuala Lumpur, and Desk Officer in the Office of ASEAN and Pacific Basin Affairs.
From 2012–2013, Oliva headed international affairs at the California Governor’s Office for Business & Economic Development. Previously, he ran Oliva Global Communications in San Francisco, whose clients included Gartner, the U.S. Department of Labor, and California APEC 2011 Host Committee. From 2000–2005, Paul worked as a director of corporate relations for Visa Inc. From 1995–2000, he headed BAYTRADE, a non-profit alliance funded by the U.S. Commerce Department that developed the U.S. Export Assistance Center network in California. Between 1987 and 1995 he was an international policy analyst for the State of California.
Oliva served as a Secretary of Commerce appointee to the Northern California District Export Council (1993–2013) ultimately serving as Chair, and member of the National DEC Advisory Board. Education: BA cum laude International Studies, University of the Pacific (Stockton, Calif.); MA International Affairs, Johns Hopkins Univ. School of Advanced International Studies (SAIS). Languages: Arabic (Basic); Spanish (3+/3+), German (4/4), some Italian.
Debbie Hirst
Debbie comes from a background in emerging markets, energy and investment banking. Her experience includes senior positions on the investor, lender and government sides of projects. She spent many years in Project Finance and Export Finance at BNP Paribas, including as Managing Director and Regional Head, leading an international team located on multiple continents.
Prior to Libya, she worked for the government of Oman, preparing and running competitive bids for power generation and water desalination plants, as well as managing the privatization of state-owned power facilities.
Resident in Libya since 2013, she is on the board of two Libyan companies in the industrial and construction materials sectors. Libya is the 11th country Debbie has lived in. An American citizen, Debbie has a degree in Economics from the University of Pennsylvania, and an MBA from Vanderbilt University.
Ahmed I. Al-Ghazali
Ahmed has had an extensive career as an entrepreneur and businessman. He owned and operated a marble and granite factory in Egypt and took over his family’s agricultural business from his father after he retired.
Ahmed has also operated as a franchisee for an American brand in Libya and represented numerous major American companies. He owns several Libyan businesses, including Al-Fatah Agricultural Supplies, Sky Navigation Systems, and Tirsana Safety and Security.
Ahmed holds a degree in Business Administration from the American University in London and a Master’s degree in Marketing from Webster University.
Tarek Eltumi, Eltumi & Co
Tarek is the founder and managing partner of leading Libyan law firm, Eltumi & Co., which specializes in providing commercial legal advice to American and international companies in support of their business interests in Libya.
He is a dual Libyan/New York qualified lawyer, fluent in English and Arabic, with experience advising on corporate and commercial matters, oil and gas, finance and dispute resolution matters.
Tarek was a Partner at international law firm Hogan Lovells International LLP where he led the Libya practice and was also a member of the Infrastructure, Energy, Resources and Projects practice and the Africa practice.
Tarek practiced for many years in Tripoli. He was General Counsel for AECOM Libya Housing and Infrastructure Inc., where he directed all legal issues arising from the US$55bn Libyan Housing and Infrastructure Program – one of the world’s largest ever infrastructure programs.
While working at two well established Libyan law firms, Tarek advised on a range of innovative international finance deals, such as the first international limited recourse project finance deal; and oil and gas matters, including the re-entry of the Oasis parties following lifting of US sanctions.
Ahmed Helmy, Halliburton
Jason Pack, Libya-Analysis
In 2011, he founded Libya-Analysis®, a consultancy which specializes in monitoring, mapping, advisory and due diligence products. In 2015, he founded Eye On ISIS In Libya, a non-profit 501c3. In 2017-18, he served as Executive Director of the U.S.-Libya Business Association.
Jason is the editor of The 2011 Libyan Uprisings and the Struggle for the Post-Qadhafi Future (Palgrave Macmillan 2013) and lead author of The Origins and Evolution of ISIS in Libya (Atlantic Council 2017). His articles have appeared in The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, The Spectator, The Financial Times, The Guardian, Foreign Policy, Newsweek, and Foreign Affairs.
Simon P. Williams, Orkin
Resident in Tripoli since 2018, Simon is the General Manager of Orkin Libya, the exclusive Orkin franchise in Libya, implementing and operating to exacting international standards across the country. Since establishing the business, he has guided the company’s growth into one of Libya’s most respected service providers, delivering advanced pest management programs to industrial, commercial, and government clients. Under his leadership, Orkin Libya has introduced professional reporting systems, ISO-certified quality standards, and data-driven monitoring programs aligned with international inspection frameworks and environmental compliance requirements.
Simon’s background spans business leadership, environmental management, and applied science. His approach combines practical experience with a deep understanding of ecology and risk, helping clients meet complex challenges at the intersection of public health, food safety, and environmental protection. He is committed to modernising the pest management sector in North Africa by promoting evidence-based methods, professional training, and safer, more sustainable control technologies.
Before moving to Libya, Simon led the Environmental Engineering Department of a London-based demolition and remediation company, where he designed environmental monitoring and mitigation programs for large-scale infrastructure projects in sensitive urban environments. His work ensured compliance with UK and EU legislation and encouraged the early adoption of sustainable practices within the construction industry.
He holds a Master of Science degree in Environmental Management and continues to develop IPM 2.0 systems—an emerging approach to pest management that integrates data analytics, behavioural science, and environmental modelling to enhance agricultural productivity and commercial resilience.
Simon’s professional focus extends beyond company operations to broader regional goals: strengthening U.S.–Libya business partnerships, supporting sustainable economic development, and advancing the role of science and innovation in shaping Libya’s private sector.
Christopher Watson, Veritas Global
Christopher Watson is a globally experienced, values-driven business leader and current COO of Veritas Global. Christopher stands as a catalyst for profound transformation, leveraging over 30 years of dynamic leadership across diverse domains. He is responsible for the company’s operations, as well as Supply Chain, Information Technology and Global Services.
His pivotal roles as Director of Operations and COO at AMI Expeditionary Group showcased his prowess in orchestrating multimillion-dollar portfolios. Notably, propelling growth and solidifying relationships with key entities such as DHHS, World Bank, Repsol, Eni North Africa, United Nations, and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.
Christopher’s remarkable journey encompasses strategic leadership, program management, and cross-functional collaboration, positioning him as an industry luminary. With a distinctive ability to foster collaboration across private and public sectors, he navigates intricate stakeholder dynamics, propelling the seamless execution of high-stakes projects involving government agencies, global organizations, and influential leaders.
A cum laude graduate of National University, Christopher Watson’s commitment to exceptional leadership consistently garners recognition. As a change agent, he envisions a world where healthcare knows no boundaries, inspired by his military ethos of integrity, dedication, and unwavering commitment to a higher purpose.
Raed Hergli, Visa Inc.
Raed Hergli is Head Of Government Engagement – MENA at Visa Inc.
